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Weekly Message | September 16th, 2007
Passage: Acts 20:13-24
Key Verse(s): 19a
For the past two weeks we thought about Apostle Paul’s disciple making ministry in Ephesus from chapter 19. We learned how disciples are first born through the clear preaching of Jesus. Disciples are then raised through the ministry of God’s word and prayer. The twelve young disciples whom we studied about last week are now the Elders of the church. They grew up as reliable disciples who could serve Sunday message when Apostle Paul was away.
In our case it was not Apostle Paul, but Dr. Paul who was away at the staff conference. By God’s grace I have been growing as a disciple of Jesus in this ministry since 1989. Through the labor of love and training I have received from God’s servants these past 18 years, I was able to prepare this message. Today, with great joy and at the same time fear in my heart I present this message to you.
The context of this passage is Apostle Paul’s farewell address to the leaders of the church in Ephesus. In this life we all meet in the Lord. At the right time we also say good-byes to our fellow Christians. Since 1989 Dr. Paul has been preaching in this ministry. Just imagine what it would be like when someday we hear his farewell address because he is moving on somewhere else. This is also true with me. At some point in time I may also need to say farewell. What would I say at that time? Will I have anything meaningful to say? I do not expect such a time come too soon. Even so, by thinking about my farewell address in the future, I can better serve the Lord with the right attitude and a vision for God. Let’s pray that we may learn even one truth that enables us to better serve the Lord in our situation.
First, “You know how I lived…” (13-19). In this part we can learn, why we must serve the lord and with what kind of attitude. At the beginning of today’s passage we see the word “We.” “We” refers to Paul’s close associates whose names can be found in verse 4 plus Luke who wrote this account. According to verses 13-17 Paul and the nine others were now on their way to Jerusalem. They wanted to arrive there before the day of Pentecost – The birthday of the Christian church. It was important to be part of this historic celebration and also to promote unity between Jew and Gentile Christians. They had also collected offerings from among the Gentile churches to bring to Jerusalem as an expression of thanks for their prayers. On his way Paul knew that he would not likely have a chance to see the Ephesian elders again and earnestly desired to meet them one last time. And so as Paul landed in Miletus, near Ephesus he arranged for a brief leaders meeting. Once everyone was gathered safely, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia” (18). The elders knew how Apostle Paul lived among them. Paul lived among them and had a very close personally relationship with them. He probably lived in common life together with many of them. They ate together, prayed together, and shared in all the day to day challenges of life.
Over the years S. Ruth and I have been blessed to share our home with a number of college students. Living with someone so closely you cannot hide your weaknesses. You get to know who they really are and they get to know you. Both weaknesses and strengths. Unlike Paul, I’m not sure I want to remind others how I lived among them. However, Paul was secure in the fact that he lived his life as servant of Christ. In serving the Lord he strived to imitate Jesus. In his letter to the Ephesians Paul said this, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ep 5:1-2) To imitate God seems a rather difficulty goal, but just as children learn from imitating their parents, we to learn the heart and mind of Christ as we seek to imitate our heavenly Father. As Paul sought to imitate Christ, he became a living breathing model of Christian integrity and Christ like spirit.
Look at the first part of verse 19. “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears.” This verse represents the very core of Paul’s inner spirit and attitude. It reveals why Paul lived as he did. Why he devoted himself so earnestly to preaching and teaching the gospel of Christ. Why he endured such hardships for Jesus name sake. Was it because he wanted to become a famous evangelist. No! Was it because the Lord is God, the creator of the heavens and earth? That alone should be reason enough to serve him, but knowledge of God alone does not sufficiently motivate us. It is more personal. It was out of love for what the Lord had done in his life that Paul served the Lord. Before Paul met Christ his name was Saul. He persecuted the church of God. He sinned against God and did terrible things to God’s people. But the Risen Christ found him and appeared to him in a blinding light. Saul asked, “Who are you Lord? The Lord replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” (Ac 9:5). Jesus showed him how much he cared for him, despite his many sins. Like a Good Shepherd Jesus trained and molded him into a new creation. Jesus became his Lord and Savior. Jesus poured out his love to this sinner until he was transformed into a light for the Gentiles. He was no longer Saul. He was Apostle Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus. He turned from his life of sin and dedicated his life to Christ. Paul said it best, as only Paul could: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Ga 2:20).
Jesus not only gave his life for Paul, he gave his life for all sinners that they might be set free from the bondage of sin and experience the joy of serving God. Satan would have us believe that serving God is endless toil and hardship. That in serving God we are not free to live our life. But it is all lies. Rather, serving the Lord makes us truly free. Free from the condemnation of sin and shame. Free to receive strength and power to stand firm in times of trial. Free to experience lasting joy and peace in life. As a ministry our joy comes when we see the living God working among us, strengthening us even as our bodies become older and weaker. When it is the Lord we serve, there is no challenge too great to bear. There is nothing to fear, in life or death. In the Lord there is an endless supply of strength, power, wisdom and love that cannot fail. Amen!
Look again at verse 19. “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.” Not only does this verse reveal whom and why Paul served, but how – “With great humility and tears.” Here Paul was not boasting. In sincerity he spoke to those who knew him just this one time in such a way. In many respects Paul was a great man in whom God worked mighty miracles. In spite of his greatness, Paul remained humble. Paul's humbleness was often tested by the plots of the Jews who invented false charges against him. But Paul kept his eyes fixed on Jesus remaining humble and prayerful.
We can think of many different ways to serve the Lord, but how many of us would have “humility and tears” at the top of our list? Why are humility and tears so essential to serving the Lord? When Dr. Paul first ask me to deliver this message, my first thought was, why did he have to pick this passage? Humility is not really one of my strong points and I have not shed a tear in over a year. I don’t know what was in his mind, but I do now that God wants me grow as influential man of God and for my fellowship to grow in our capacity to serve and raise up college students as disciple of Jesus. What I discovered is that without humility there can be no life giving ministry.
To understand humility, it is best to start from the source – God. Paul said in his letter to the Philippians: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death---even death on a cross!" (Ph 2:5-7).
Imagine if God did not humble himself as a man, but came to earth as God in all his glory and splendor. Imagine then, that he came not to serve sinners, but to be served by them. There would be no gospel of Jesus. There would be no life giving ministry. We would all be dead in our sins. In this sense, humility is the most essential element in serving the Lord. Small servants display little humility. On the other hand, "great humility" refers to the attitude of great servants of God. In brief, humility and tears is the attitude of our Lord Jesus Christ toward us. Those who are humble display God’s love to sinners. They first and foremost humble themselves before God who saved them from their sin. They cry out to God just as Paul did in Ro 7:24 “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” They also weep for those under their care. One example is Paul’s weeping for the Corinthian’s in 2 Co 2:4 “For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.”Paul was a man of great intellect. But he was also a man of heart with great sensitivity and caring. He wept because of the wonderful love of God in Christ Jesus. Whenever he met his own personal limitation to love difficult people, he was reminded of God's love for him and wept for them as he would his own children.
Here, it is important for us to always remember we are debtors to God. This must be our attitude in life. Our lives should not be mere tasks, activities and all the appointments to keep. The life God gave is best used to serve the Lord in humility and tears. Not as we see fit to serve, but in loving one another just as Jesus love us.
Second, “turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” (20,21). In this part we learn the focus of Paul’s preaching and teaching ministry. These two verses are an extension of how Paul served the Lord. He did not serve the Lord haphazardly, he had a clear focus. Paul served the Lord by presenting God and Jesus Christ to the people clearly. Look at verse 20: “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.”
Sometimes, unpleasant aspects of truth must be spoken in order to help others grow in the Lord. At such times Paul did not hesitate to say what needed to be said. He feared God more than men. Therefore, Paul was also bold and courageous. He preached the love of God with all his heart. At the same time he emphasized the judgment of God with the same passion and zeal. But his motive was always to please God and speak what was helpful in building up others to be strong and healthy in the Lord. He preached all aspects of Christian faith, one-on-one, in small groups, and public gatherings as well as house to house. He preached to both Jews and Greeks. He preached to PhD professors as well as growing teenagers. Likewise we must pray to become Godly leaders who fear God, and do not hesitate to speak the truth in love to all kinds of people.
Look at verse 21. “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” Paul did not just preach whatever came to his mind. He had a clear focus in his message - repentance and faith in Jesus. It was because this is what sinners need most. Before anything else we need to establish a right relationship with God. Before we offer our money, time or anything else we must give our heart to God. There is only one way to do so - Repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Repentance is to acknowledge our need for forgiveness and turn our heart toward God in sincere devotion. It is to turn from whatever is unholy by God’s righteous standard, fear God and keep his commands. (Ec 12:13,14). Some may say, how can we do that? To meet God’s holy standard is too hard. In fact, the closer we come to God, the more we find it difficult to approach him. God is a consuming fire and we are sinners with all the weak and sick elements. How can we ever please God? We need to put our faith in Jesus who is our Savior, Defender, Refuge and Lord. Faith in Jesus Christ is the practical expression of our resolution to serve the Lord. By faith in Jesus we come to the holy God with boldness and trust. By faith in Jesus we can serve the Lord without fear.
As a Bible teacher I also need to have a clear focus in teaching the Bible. It is to help others repent and turn toward Christ and put their faith in him. More important is that I practice repentance and faith, before preaching it. It was Paul’s own life of repentance that made him bold in the Lord. It was his faith in God that enabled him to help countless others grow in the Lord as disciples of Jesus.
Third, “the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.” (22-24). In these verses we can learn that to serve the Lord, also requires resolve and commitment. Paul always seemed to be facing hardship. Prisons, dangers and even death were awaiting him. Yet, he was resolved to finish his life as a testimony to the grace of God. Let’s read his resolution together in verse 24. “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.”
Paul’s statement “I consider my life worth nothing to me,” were not the words of a suicidal maniac. Paul knew too well that his life was very precious because of Jesus' sacrifice for him. He also never forgot how many Christians along the path of his journey toiled and sacrificed for his spiritual growth. At the same time Paul knew that his life was not his own, but belonged to God. When he said, "I consider my life worth nothing to me,.." it was the words of man who was truly free. He did not fear death, nor was he afraid of life or what the future may hold. Why? Because he was secure in the Lord. Nothing in this life could compare with what he received through the gospel of Jesus. In Christ, he found a love from God in which nothing in all creation could destroy. (Ro 8:28). He found true freedom from the yoke of sin and the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Compared to these, he considered his earthly life as nothing. But his statement did not end there, he continued, “if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.”
Paul compared his life to a race in which the goal was not necessarily to win, but simply to finish. To Paul, finishing the race meant to conclude his life honorably before God. He simply wanted to end well. He also defined what it meant to end well - “testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” To end well was to say, “my life was a testimony to the Grace of God.” It was not about accomplishment – being able to say, “I built a successfully business,” or that “I pioneered a new church,” or even that “I raised 100 disciples.” Rather it is that we can say, “by the grace of God I served the Lord with the life he gave me.” In just 5 words, Paul summarized the meaning of life - “the gospel of God’s grace.” Life is God’s gracious gift. God died for our sins, was buried and raised to life so that we might live with him. That is the gospel in which our life must reveal. To Paul there was nothing more important than this. To Paul God's mission was greater than his life. To complete the mission he depended on the grace of God. He resolved to overcome the challenges that lay ahead committing his life in the hands of God.
Like Paul we all need strength and resolve to overcome the challenges ahead. To overcome any challenge takes commitment. Those who resolve to love the Lord commit their life to serve him. It’s not based on fear or terror, but on the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Love is to commit. Love without commitment is not real love. When I gave my marriage vow to my wife, I made firm commitment to love. After marriage, I still love her and I remember my commitment. I am committed to her and therefore I love her. If we love God, we must commit to him. Eighteen years ago, I committed one hour a week to study the Bible, gradually as I came to know the grace of God that commitment grew and is still growing. Jesus continues to pour out his grace on my life. Despite the increasing struggles of life and demands on my time, the grace of Jesus is more than sufficient. After preparing this message I want to commit myself all the more to grow as a messenger of God’s word and live before God and men, as a testimony of God’s grace. As was with Paul, so to with us. The grace of Jesus enables us to commit ourselves to God – in life and even in death. In that sense, there is nothing greater than the grace of Jesus in our life.
In conclusion, This is the 5th message in our pioneering series. From Paul’s life and ministry we can say that to be a pioneer is to serve the Lord. To serve the Lord is to first have the attitude of Christ toward sinners – that of humility and tears. Second, we focus on what is useful in building others up in the Lord - that is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. And lastly, we resolve not to give up, but to commit our life to the hands of God as a testimony of his grace. So take time to examine your life in the context of serving the Lord. One day, how will you server the Lord? How will you say goodbye? In the context of my life to serve the Lord is to consider my life as nothing but a single seed in Christ. The seeds life is not important, but if the seed dies, it can produce many other seeds in Christ. Most of all I may be able to say, I served the Lord with humility and with tears. May God bless you to know the Lord who alone is worthy of our devotion, sacrifice and commitment. In your life may you experience the full richness of Christ that only serving the Lord can bring.
Russell Kille, September 16, 2007. Toledo, Ohio.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
